Hello Christine.

Were the two rounds of sod put in at the same time of the year? Early spring or late fall? The wettest time of the season? Did the sod come from the same sod farm both times? Was it fresh or had it been cut and/or on a truck for a long time? Was it irrigated after being put down? Was it over-irrigated? Did it look good for a while and then start to decline, or did it decline immediately? Was the soil rototilled and raked before installing the sod, or was the sod applied on top of hardpan soil? Sod requires upwards of 8 hours of sun a day. Is the area you sodded in full sun or is it in part or full shade?

The description of soil as “slimy” generally makes me think of a thin layer of high-organic matter topsoil over fairly hardpan clay. Water easily saturates the layer of organic matter, but cannot permeate the clay. In this case, it could be that the roots are failing to grow into the hard layer of compacted soil or that the roots are rotting in a water-logged layer of soil.

What can you do? You can send us more information about how the soil was prepared before the sod was planted. Also, how is the grade of the yard? In the first picture it almost looks like a low valley in the middle of the yard.

A soil test would be very helpful. Here is the information on how to submit a sample for an MSU soil test: https://homesoiltest.msu.edu/get-started

You may also want to run a percolation test to see how good the drainage is in your soil. Please see “Testing Soil Drainage” in this article: https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2022-05-13-improving-soil-drainage

If your lawn area is low lying or you have very little drainage, you may need to regrade the lawn area to build it up higher than the surrounding areas to naturally dry out the soil.

If you are going to replant sod, the soil should be tilled to a depth of about 6” and fully raked out and levelled to promote root growth into the subsoil below the sod. Here is an article on prepping for sod planting: https://www.canr.msu.edu/uploads/files/e2911.pdf

Depending on the results of your soil test and the soil texture you have, you may have better success rototilling your soil and seeding or hydro-seeding instead of applying sod.

On Tue, Mar 26, 2024 at 8:01 AM, Ask Extension

<<personal data hidden>> wrote:

Hello Christine,

If you go to the following website: https://homesoiltest.msu.edu/get-started under How to Submit Home Lawn and Garden Samples, there is another link that will take you to the MSU online bookstore:  https://shop.msu.edu/products/soil-test-mailer

If you do not want to mail order a soil test mailer, you may be able to purchase one from your local county extension office.  Depending on where you are in Wayne county, you could try the office in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe or Washtenaw counties.  Please call ahead before going to an MSU Extension county office to make sure they have the mailers and confirm when someone will be at the office that can take your payment.